Guy’s World: Premiere Night In Middle Earth

It’s 12.01am, I’m in geek
heaven and I’m loving it. It’s the first Australasian public
screening of the Fellowship of the Ring. The hardcore fans
are kitted out in their pointy ears and armour. All in the
theatre sense several years of anticipation about to be well
and truly satiated as Peter Jackson’s epic recreation of The
Lord of the Rings’ first book unfolds
onscreen.

“We’re a fellowship and
we’re proud”

On the side of
good

Most of these fans took their medieval
regalia for a spin throughout town for the
pre-stars-walking-down-the-red-carpet parade in the
afternoon. Wellington is Middle Earth for a week, as decreed
by the city council. There’s never been a better time and
place to be truly immersed in fantasy.

The common
people

My
presssciouus!

The vibe on Courtenay Place is
festive ahead of the appearance of the stars. Odd-ball
diversions abound. and soon so many fans flood into the
street for a glimpse of a hobbit that any hope of finding a
place on the edge of the red carpet without media
accreditation (doh!) fade.

A strange bird indeed,
and a gaggle of Mutton Birds sing on the Opera
balcony

A living sado-masochistic water
sculpture torments children

The young stars,
hobbits Elijah Wood (Frodo), Billy Boyd (Pippin), Dominic
Monaghan (Merry) and elf Orlando Bloom (Legolas) are manic
live wires. What’s in the pipeweed boys? Folks walking down
a long red carpet has never been so much fun and thanks to
the big screen, the thousands in attendance could all share
in it.

Female fans scream for unlikely sex symbol Elijah
Wood, who is generous with his humour, his hugs and his
signature.

But Wellington saves its biggest welcome for
Mr Peter Jackson. He’s a true hobbit – absolutely
overwhelmed by the occasion and a little bit uncomfortable
with his place in the center of it. He signs countless
autographs, delaying the premiere.

When he's ready, and
only when he's ready, the stars enter the Embassy for, as
Peter Jackson called it, the real
premiere.

The hobbits goof
off

And the movie? Its big, perhaps even a
little unwieldy. A fantastic drama, a real emotional roller
coaster – by turns tender and terrifying.

Later, after
the stars have had their premiere and are getting Legolas at
the after party, a television cameraman captures the stunned
audience filing out of the public screening I've just
attended. Some faces reveal tears just shed. With its
cast of elves, hobbits, dwarves and wizards, The Fellowship
of the Rings’ power lies in its
humanity.

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